Doc Rivers Was Headed to Boston Marathon When Bombs Exploded

Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers is an avid fan of the Boston Marathon — he was on his way to the popular annual event when tragedy struck on Monday. Per the Boston Globe: “Celtics coach Doc Rivers lives just blocks from where two bombs exploded Monday near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring more than 100 people. ‘I always go down after practice and watch — I’ve done it every year that we’ve been in town, because I live literally two blocks from the finish line,’ Rivers said before practice Tuesday. ‘I was on my way, actually — I had just gotten out of the tunnel — when the bomb exploded. It’s just awful. It takes the joy out of sports — because that’s what sports is supposed to bring is joy. You just saw the people running and the ambulances, just everything. It was hysteria.’ [...] More than anything, Rivers said, he was encouraged by what he saw. ‘Being in the city, the one thing I will say, you’re just really proud to be part of Boston,’ he said. ‘I saw people who didn’t work for the police or anything like that, directing traffic, showing people where to go. I just thought the spirit of Boston was phenomenal last night. In a tragic event, it either separates you or brings you together. It clearly brought the city of Boston together, which was awesome. The city has responded. The city, it was awesome, watching people help people. I’m driving and I can see people helping people walk, helping go to the right places. This city has an amazing amount of spirit and I think that showed last night. And today still. Then you’re angry, too. I think that starts now. You really are. When you keep thinking about it. It does make you very angry at what happened. And that’s because you love the city, and love where you’re at. So that bothers you.’ [...] Rivers said it’s important to return to a sense of normalcy. ‘That’s what our city wants,’ he said. ‘I think that you can hear the police commissioner today talking about that. We want to return things as soon as possible back to normal because that tells whoever did this that you don’t stop the spirit of Boston. We are going to be back, we’re going to work the same, we’re going to play the same, we’re going to do things the same, and there’s nothing you can do to stop us from doing this. Next year, the Marathon will be bigger and better, and you’re not going to stop us, and I thought, of all the messages, the police commissioner said that and I think that’s a fact.’”